Riko's Pizza to Acquire Merrick and Levittown Restaurants, Expand Footprint on Long Island

Acquisition Marks Successful Exit for Brand's First Franchisee and Establishes Long Island as a Key Corporate Growth Market

STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Riko's Pizza ("Riko's" or the "Company"), a highly differentiated neighborhood restaurant and bar concept built around tavern-style pizza ("bar pies"), today announced an agreement to acquire its two Long Island franchise locations in Merrick and Levittown, New York, converting both restaurants into corporate-owned operations. The acquisition represents an important milestone in the Company's evolution and further establishes Long Island as a key corporate growth market for Riko's.

The two restaurants were originally developed and operated by Riko's first franchisee, who entered the system in 2020 with the opening of the Levittown location, Riko's first franchised restaurant and first location outside Connecticut. Following the success of Levittown, the franchisee opened a second Long Island restaurant in Mineola in 2021, which was later relocated to a larger space in Merrick in 2023.

The transaction marks a successful exit for the franchisee following six years with the brand and underscores the strength of a model that enabled an experienced operator to enter the system, expand following early success, and ultimately realize value from the business. The transaction officially closed on August 31^st and terms were not disclosed.

Both restaurants will remain open in their current locations and continue operating without interruption. Riko's also plans additional investment in Merrick and Levittown as the Company builds around the two successful restaurants and pursues further expansion across Long Island.

"This transaction is meaningful for us on many levels," said Carl Bachmann, President & CEO of Riko's Pizza. "These are two thriving restaurants with strong teams and loyal guest bases, and this franchisee was also the very first person to believe in the Riko's franchise vision. Their success helped validate the scalability of our concept beyond Connecticut early on, and we're proud to see that journey culminate in a successful outcome for everyone involved."

Under Mr. Bachmann's leadership, Riko's is uniquely positioned to scale its success across Long Island, a market he has lived and worked in for more than three decades. Before joining Riko's in 2025, Mr. Bachmann built, operated, and led multiple successful restaurant and foodservice businesses throughout the region. This includes serving as Long Island's exclusive Ruby Tuesday franchisee during the brand's peak growth years, where he developed one of the system's top-performing regional portfolios with 13 restaurants across Nassau and Suffolk counties. Long Island was also a key market during his tenure as President and COO of Smashburger, and later as CEO of BurgerFi International.

"Long Island is one of the best restaurant markets in the country, and it's also home for me personally," said Mr. Bachmann. "I've spent much of my career building and operating restaurant businesses across the Island, so we know this market extremely well. Merrick and Levittown have already proven that Riko's resonates strongly here, and this acquisition gives us the opportunity to invest further in those restaurants while strategically expanding our presence across Nassau and Suffolk counties, where we believe our unique bar pie and broader restaurant concept bring something truly differentiated to the market."

The acquisition comes as Riko's continues to accelerate its broader East Coast expansion following a record-setting first half of 2026. In addition to further investment in Merrick and Levittown, Riko's plans to expand its corporate footprint on Long Island with a new restaurant at the Shops at SunVet in Holbrook, New York, slated to open in 2027. The location will further extend the Company's presence across Long Island as it continues to evaluate opportunities for disciplined growth throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.

For more information on Riko's Pizza, including franchising opportunities, please visit www.RikosFranchise.com.

About Riko's Pizza

Founded in 2011, Riko's Pizza is a highly differentiated neighborhood restaurant and bar concept famous for its super-thin crust tavern-style pizzas (or "bar pies"), local neighborhood atmosphere, and extensive selection of craft beers, wines, and specialty cocktails. The fast-growing brand currently operates eight corporate-owned and five franchise-owned locations across Connecticut, Florida, New York, and North Carolina. The Company has numerous other U.S. locations in the pipeline, with a core focus on select markets throughout the East Coast. Riko's Pizza is known for its craveable menu, which features signature bar pie recipes—such as the iconic Hot Oil Pie—oven-roasted wings, made-to-order salads (available in a bowl, pie, or wrap), tasty apps, and fan-favorite desserts. Riko's locations offer both eat-in and takeout, with each site having a modern layout with a large bar, open-spaced dining rooms, outdoor spaces, numerous TVs, and a rustic-urban décor that incorporates the character of the local community. A go-to destination for families, parties, and watching sports alike, Riko's Pizza is on a mission to redefine America's love affair with pizza. For more information about Riko's Pizza, including franchising, please visit www.RikosPizza.com.

Contact:
Gaffney Bennett PR
[email protected]

SOURCE Riko’s Pizza